Automatic adjustable shelf tray



Jan. 16, 1923.

C. E. CHAPMAN.

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE SHELF TRAY.

FILED JULY 30, 1920.

CHARLES. E. CHAPMAN, or onrceeo, rimrn'ors.

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTABLE SHELF TRAY.

Application, filed July 30, 1920. Serial No. 400,165.

T allwhomz'tmag concern: a manner as to eliminate any damage to the 55 Be it known that I, CHARLES E. Cries jewelry. I

MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing As a further object, provision has been at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State made whereby adjustment may be readily of Illinois, have invented a certain new and made in order to dispose the jewelry in the useful Improvement in Automatic Adjusttray in a proper position to permit close 6 able Shelf Trays, of which the following is stacking of the trays. The adjustment is a full, clear, concise, and'exact description, automatic, and therefore, has for its purreference being had to the accompanying pose the saving of time and labor.

10 drawings, forming a part of this specifica- A further object of this invention resides tion. 1 in the arrangement of a shelf within the My invention relates to jewelry trays and tray whereby the ewelry may be positioned more particularly to that type of tray whereat any angle while displaying in order to in carded jewelry is adapted to be carried secure the proper angle of light reflections,

15 for display in show cases and windows. without necessarily controlling the position While my invention relates to trays for of the tray. Thus the trays may be posicarrying carded jewelry and the like, I do tioned closely together in the showcase or not intend to limit myself to such use solely, window, the automatic adjustment of the as it is apparent that by slight variations shelves taking care of the light reflections 20 in structure, the tray may be used for dison the jewelry.

playing objects of similar or even of dis- Other advantages of my invention not similar character. hereinbefore set forth will appear from the Generally it has been customary, heretofollowing detailed description and claims fore, in the practice of the jeweler, to retaken with an inspection of the accompany- 25 move the jewelry on display either in the ing drawings wherein I have illustrated vashow cases or in the windows to the vault rious ways in which my invention may be at the end of the day. This causes an unembodied. The particular tray shown is limited amount of labor, especially if the merely illustrative and the details thereof stock on hand is large. The jewelry remay be varied.

30 moved to the vault has to be arranged with Figure 1 is a top plan view of a jewelry unusual skill, as the size of the latter is gentray embodying the preferred mode of my erally limited. Furthermore, jewelry is of invention, and illustrating the shelves in such a character as to warrant only careful closed position; handling. In order to best display the jew- Figure 2 is a detailed fragmentary view 35 elry in the tray, it is customary to provide taken on line 22 ofFigure l;

grooves in the latter to receive and permit Figure 3 is a detailed fragmentary view, the jewelry to protrude therefrom a considillustrating the opposite side of the view erable distance, so as to have it prominently shown in Figure 2; stand out. This protrusion of the jewelry Figure &is a view of a stack of trays to 40 prevents the same from being placed in the illustrate the manner of stacking the trays vault while in the tray. as damage to the within the vault; jewelry is apt to occur by stacking of the Figure 5 is a side elevational ylew of a trays above one another. This can only be tray in which is embodied a modified form overcome by removing the jewelry from the of my invention;

45 tray, and hence it is apparent that additional Figure 6 is a similar side elevational V ew;

labor is caused. Figure 7 is an isolated perspective view It is, therefore, the primary object of this of the shelves having in connection thereinvention to overcome the above difficulty with the modified. means of actuating the by providing a tray which suitably retains same; and so the jewelry during the period of display, Flgure is a detailed fragmentary vlew permitting it to protrude a suitable distance taken on line 8 8 of Figure 5. in order to secure the desiredprominency, Referring to Figure 1, the tray 1, 1n and which may be stacked away in the vault which my invention embodied, compr ses with the jewelry disposed therein in such the side walls 2 hav ng the ledges 3. The

' card'9 to hold the same in proper position fabricated material desired.

ledge 3 is preferably disposed along the lower end. of the wall 2 and provides an open bottom for the tray, the purpose of which will hereinafter be mentioned. Before or after the assembly of the tray, holes are bored in the inner opposite faces of one pair of sides. These holes preferably face each other and are in parallel alignment.

When the tray is assembled and the sides are properly secured together, the sides, in which the holes are provided, are expanded slightly to permit the insertion of the rods 4. 'The rods a carry shelves 5 which may be made out of any kind of material desired, although sheet metal better serves the pur pose. The form of shelf shown herein is merely exemplary, illustrating one of the various ways of suitably retaining a card 9 to which is fastened some articles for sale, such as jewelry. The shelf 5 may be made from one piece of metal, the stamping of which is performed in one operation. The lower portion 7 during the stamping operation, is provided with the spring retaining fingers 8 which serve to bear against the while in the tray. These fingers are so formed that they resiliently bear against the back 10 of the shelf 5. and flare outwardly at the upper end. Preferably, the fingers 8 are provided in pairs for each card 9 which have a wedged engagement with the same and the back portion 10. That portion between the respective fingers of each pair is preferably retained as shown at 11, so as to present a finished effect. The portion 10 may be covered with any kind of It is to be here noted that the entire lower portion 7 of the shelf 5 may be formed in one piece if so desired. At one end of the shelf 5 a lug 12 is I provided which is at right angles to the back 10. To the lug 12 is riveted the tension member 13 by means of the rivets 14.

Referring to the detailed views of Figures Q'and 3, the tension member 13 terminates at the rear end in such a manner that a detent 15 projects from the upper edge preferably at right angles to the sides thereof.

' suitable manner.

Lying adj ace'nt to the tension member 1.3 at this end is the spring toothed latch member 16 which is carried by the ledge 8 in any The side adjoining this part of the tray is provided with theslot 17 for the reception of the finger 18 formed integral with the spring latch 16.

The detent 15 is adapted to engage the teeth of the latch member 16 upon adjust ment of the shelves 5 within the tray 1. When it is desired to release the shelves 5, the finger 18 is manually actuated in the slot 17 which moves the latch member 16 outwardly, so that the detent 15 is free to disengage the teeth and drop downwardly by gravity, the shelves also dropping therewith limited capacity.

In Figures 5 to 8 wherein I have shown a modified form of adjusting means for the shelves 5, the tension member 20 at the rear end frictionally engages a 21 which is rigidly fixed to the side 2. Adjacent this end of the tension member 20, a rivet is carried which is threaded at the free end for receiving the thumb bolt23. The thumb bolt 23, in a manner similar to the finger 18 is disposed in the slot 24 which is in this case arcuate. Movement of the thumb bolt 23 in this slot raises and lowers the shelves.

5, the position of the shelves 5 being retained by the frictional engagement of the tension member 20 with the bar or plate 21. Threading of the thumb bolt 23 upon the rivet 22 adjusts the tension of the member 20, this tension controlling the degree of engagement of the member 20 with plate 21.

As is well known to one skilled in the art of decorating show cases or windows, it is necessary at times to dispose the articles of display about, so that a perfect symmetry of composition may be had. This often requires, for instance in the jewelry industry, that the trays stand vertical, semi-vertical, or possibly lie horizontal. Hence, if the means. within the tray, which carries the jewelry were not adjustable, a proper reflection of light could not be obtained, which is very necessary in order to have jewelry on display attractive. If the factor of light reflection is more important, a large amount of space is wasted.

As is shown in Figures 6 and 7 this disadvantage is totally eliminated by my invention, as the shelves 5 may be properly adjusted to meet the prevailing needs. In

t Figure 5 the trayv is semi-vertical, yet the greatly adding to the volume of light ad mitted.

It is to be here noted that the important features of this invention may be embodied in various ways in other devices.

It is apparent that automatically adj usting the shelves 5 sothat it is not necessary to remove the jewelry from the tray at the end-of the day, but permits it to be stored in the vault in the tray, and that the feature of acquiring a proper light reflection on the jewelry in the tray while on display in the window or showcase without necessarily limiting the position of the tray may be had by arrangement other than shown, and consequently I do not intend to be limited to the showing made.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a display tray, of a plu rality of shelves pivotallymounted in said tray, said shelves being provided with means for retaining articles of display, a movable member lying adjacent and pivoted to said shelves, a releasable latch member disposed at one end of said movable member, said releasable latch member adapted to en gage said movable member only when to automatically lock said shelves in adjusted position.

2. In combination, a tray comprising, a rectangular frame, shelves substantially of a greater height than the frame pivoted therein, a common element pivotally connect ing said shelves and lying parallel to the side plane of the tray, a latch member for engaging one end of said common element whereby the shelves may be held in any ai'igular position, said latch member having teeth thereon and being arrhnged in the frame so that the same may tensionall enthe common element.

3. A. jewelry tray comprising, a rectangular l ra-me, shelves pivoted in said frame and adapted to carry carded jewelry and the like, said shelves comprising a back portion embracing a pivot shaft at the lower end and flaring outwardly a distance therefrom to provide a wedging socket in which the jewelry cards may be carried.

I. In combination, a rectangular tray member having vertical side and end walls, shelves pivoted at their ends directly in the side walls of the tray and being adapted to fold within the tray, a lock member, a common connecting member eo-operating with said lock member for locking the shelves positively in a desired position, said lock member being accessible through a wall of the tray.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of July, 1920.

CHARLES E. CHAPMAJ. 

